2 very separate questions:
What’s better than on camera flash?
You know very well that the answer is off camera flash.
And once flash is off camera, auto zoom isn’t a thing - auto zoom is only a relevant feature for in camera pointed straight ahead flash. It switches off as soon as you tilt the flash head or remove the flash from the camera cos the flash no longer knows where it is in relation to the subject.
I never think of ‘bounce’ as simple up and forward, more often bouncing from behind me or off a wall. But my other option would be hand held away from camera
Q2? If you ‘need’ 5fps, your options are limited, but you probably know that. It’s a question designed to supply a justification.
I sometimes wish for slightly faster flash recycling, but never felt the need for 5fps.
I'll brain dump and see if anything makes sense ..
I often read that the on camera diffusers/reflectors being dismissed as marketing, said that they are still just a tiny light source, that would lead me to conclude that direct flash beats are on-camera modifier for simply not getting in the way, because adding modifiers adds more bulk/weight/cost/and makes you look increasingly odd.
So first and foremost I wondered whether anyone would argue that a particular modifier would greatly improve results, I mentioned the consideration of a change of flash because it may affect the available modifiers. I have since found that you can at least still use the magmod rubber adapter on a round flash head.
With regards to bounce, this environment didn't have much going for it, with distant brick walls. I also thought consistency would be good, rather than make use of an occasional bounce opportunity.
So, if the next improvement is take the flash off camera -
Left hand flash + right hand camera + zoom lens = impedes zooming capability
Left hand flash + right hand camera + 28/35 prime = that'll work nicely (makes me want to buy the Leica q again, perfect for this! maybe I should get the Sony 28/2 )
edit - I could just fix the zoom to ~28 !
Bare flash, or go with a modifier large enough to have an impact on light quality, but doesn't get in the way of me moving around tight spaces......
Hand held or on short extension pole, or long pole.
Going up to having multiple off-camera lights on stands around the room for rim lighting..
As it's already been mentioned, I'll note I'm never going to have an assistant to hold lighting.
I guess in the end I was looking for the optimal tried and tested approach that doesn't get in the way of photographing candid moments.
With regards to 5fps flash I had, the other day for example, 20 minutes of the headmasters time to shoot multiple group photos of him with students and portraits of him around a new development. The idea being he talks to them, we try to get everyone smiling and then when we get a moment of natural smiles I blast them at 5fps looking for that shot with perfect smiles, eyes, expressions, across them all. 12 students, 3 at a time, 3 locations - swap them around as soon as I think we have something. Due to the short amount of time I opted to bounce on camera flash off the ceiling instead of having an external flash to manage. The lighting was good, when it triggered, it just didn't keep up with 5fps.